JP3111637B2 - Gyro compass - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gyro compass of the gravity type, and more particularly, has a gimbal buffering effect for protecting a rolling ball from tilting, vibration and impact in order to maintain finger pointing accuracy. The present invention relates to a gyro compass having a holding mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a mechanism for holding a gyro compass, a technique using both a mechanical gimbal and a buffer spring as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-73109 and a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-6165 are known. In addition, in order to hold the rolling ball case at a predetermined torque stable angle with respect to the compass case center point, the rolling ball case can be suspended so as to have specific different spring characteristics and axially and laterally. There is a technique using a holding device formed of a tire-type rubber compound having a damping characteristic.

However, such a conventional technique has the following disadvantages.

(A) The former has a complicated structure (accordingly, the number of manufacturing steps increases the manufacturing cost), deteriorates maintainability, and is relatively large.

(B) In the latter case, the structure is complicated, the man-hour for assembling the rubber compound is required, the volume occupied by the structure is large, and the resonance frequency in the horizontal direction cannot be reduced in shape.

In addition to the above, there is a well-known technique of a floating system using a buffer spring. However, in this case, the structure is inevitably complicated, and the rubber bellows is doubled and oil is filled inside. A rubber bellows structure with a built-in buffer oil is well known, but it is not as small as expected.

[0007] In order to solve such a drawback, the present applicant suspends and holds a rolling ball container,
A holding mechanism having a function of supporting the rolling ball container having specific different spring characteristics and damping characteristics in the peripheral direction and the lateral direction is used, and the rolling ball container is moved to the center point of the compass case via the holding mechanism. (Japanese Patent Application No. 3-272590 (filed on Oct. 21, 1991)) has proposed a technique for maintaining the torque at a predetermined torque stable angular position (hereinafter referred to as "advance proposal").

At this time, the holding mechanism is, for example,
A structure in which an elastic body using an elastic material such as rubber is arranged between a pair of plates. The entire body acts as a kind of air damping mechanism. The elastic body has a circular horizontal cross section and a hyperbolic vertical cross section. The plate is symmetrical, and the end of the elastic body is fixed, and while maintaining a certain degree of hermeticity inside the elastic body, an orifice is provided on one side to further improve the holding function. One is detachably connected to the rolling ball container, and the other is detachably connected to the axis of the azimuth follower.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining such prior art.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a rolling ball container containing a rolling ball α, 2 denotes a holding mechanism, and 3 denotes a shaft (following section shaft) connected to an azimuth tracking section.

The holding mechanism 2 suspends the rolling ball container, locks and holds the rolling ball container on a compass case (azimuth follower) β, and rotates the rolling ball in order to maintain the finger pointing accuracy of the rolling ball. It has a gimbal damping effect to protect the ball container from tilting, vibration and shock, has specific different spring characteristics and damping characteristics in the axial direction, peripheral direction and lateral direction, vibration and shock in the azimuth follower Even if the disturbance is applied, the holding mechanism can reduce the disturbance. For this reason, the holding mechanism 2 has a ring shape when viewed in a horizontal section, and has a hyperbolic, rotationally symmetrical, bended shape in a vertical section. Therefore, the elastic body 21 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and the plates 22 and 23 are fixedly assembled with the end portions 21a and 21b of the elastic body which are formed in a rotationally symmetrical manner. And this play
An orifice is formed in at least one of the plates so that the space formed by the plate and the elastic body has a certain degree of airtightness and a certain degree of vibration transmissibility and resonance frequency as a holding mechanism for the rolling ball container. 6 is provided (the orifice need not necessarily be central). Plate 23
The coupling mechanism 4 is fixed to the side by a fixing jig such as a screw, and the coupling mechanism 5 is fixed to the plate 22 side. Coupling mechanism
4 and 5 detachably couple the relationship between the rolling ball container and the holding mechanism and the relationship between the follower shaft and the holding mechanism (the plate-side joining mechanism provided with the orifice 6 closes the opening of the orifice). There is no structure). Thus, the holding mechanism holds the rolling ball case at a predetermined torque stable angle position with respect to the center point of the azimuth follower.

The supply of power or the like from the outside to the rolling ball can be performed, for example, in such a manner that it is guided to the coupling mechanism 4 as shown by a dashed line 7. The follower shaft is subject to disturbances such as tilt, sway, vibration or impact which have a significant effect on the finger accuracy as a gyro compass from the azimuth follower, but the movement of the follower shaft 3 with respect to the disturbance is
Basically, it becomes the front-back and left-right movement ψ, the up-down movement ξ, and the rotation movement ω, and extends to the rolling ball container. At this time, due to the damping effect of the orifice 6, the influence of disturbance on the rolling ball container can be reduced. The vibration transmissibility, the resonance frequency, and the like can be changed by appropriately selecting the thickness, material, or opening area or number of the orifices of the elastic body 2.

FIG. 4 shows another example of the holding mechanism (represented by reference numeral 20). At this time, the holding mechanism 20 that is locked to the coupling mechanism 50
Even if is composed of a circular flat elastic body 23 (for example, made of rubber), a metal part 24, an air reservoir T and an orifice 60, the disturbance from the azimuth follower can be attenuated and mitigated in the same manner as described above. Can be.

More specifically, the holding mechanism 20 is made up of a circular plate-shaped rubber part 23 and holding parts 24a,
A metal part 24 including a side metal part 24b and a bottom part 24c, an air reservoir T formed by a rubber part and a side metal part, and, for example, an orifice 60 provided in the metal part of the side part. It is configured to act as an air damping mechanism.

[0015]

In this prior art, when the circular flat elastic body is made of rubber, the reliability of each of the rubbers has been examined. Unlike the problem of deterioration, it is necessary to consider the service life, but it is difficult to predict it, and in the unlikely event that there is a danger of near-fatal impact such as destruction of the rolling ball, etc. , There was a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a holding mechanism in a gyrocompass as a configuration in which a circular plate-shaped elastic body is provided with rubber. A gyrocompass provided with a more reliable holding mechanism by adding a safety device capable of coping with destruction due to the deterioration even when a deteriorated material such as is used. Things.

[0017]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a compass case in which a rolling ball container is suspended by a holding mechanism having a spring characteristic and a damping characteristic in an axial direction, a peripheral direction and a lateral direction. In the gyro compass configured to hold the torque at a predetermined torque stable angle position with respect to the center point, the holding mechanism (200) includes a circular plate-shaped elastic body (230) and an elastic body holding and coupling the elastic body. Part (240a), a metal part (240) consisting of a side part metal part (240b) and a bottom part (24c) provided with an orifice (60) in part, and an air reservoir formed by the elastic body and the metal part (T) and a fall prevention device (250) formed of an elastic body having a configuration in which a knurling process is applied to a front end portion thereof, and the compass casing is formed by the elastic characteristic of the elastic body, the air reservoir and the orifice. -Attenuate and moderate disturbance from It is characterized in that they are added.

[0018]

A structure in which a degraded material such as rubber is used for a circular flat elastic body of a holding mechanism (referred to as a diaphragm type rubber damper).
A device that can prevent the rolling ball container from falling when the elastic body is broken (hereinafter referred to as a “fall prevention device”) as a safety device that can cope with destruction due to its deterioration in a “rubber damper”. ).

[0019]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same parts as those in FIGS. 3 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a specific embodiment of the gyro compass of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram provided for explanation of FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 200 denotes a holding mechanism for locking the coupling mechanism 50. The holding mechanism 200 includes a rubber damper 230, a metal ring 240a for holding the rubber damper, and a side metal part. An air chamber housing) 240b and a bottom portion 24c, a metal portion 240, and a fall prevention device 25 provided in the air reservoir T as a safety device capable of coping with deterioration of the rubber portion of the rubber damper (response when the rubber portion is broken).
0, and the orifice 60, etc., acting as a kind of air damping mechanism as a whole, and attenuating and relaxing the disturbance from the azimuth follower β with its damping characteristics.

Here, as a specific example, the fall prevention device 250 has a shape as shown in the plan view of FIG.
A plurality of limbs β are fixed to each other, and each limb β at this time is formed of a member having elasticity such as a leaf spring, and a knurling process is performed on a tip portion thereof, and a knurled member 250a is disposed thereon to prevent the fall prevention claws from being formed And can be. At this time, the inside of the air chamber housing 240b is extended, and the knurled member 24 corresponding to the knurled member 250a is provided at the end.
0b ₁ is fixed (or a configuration in which knurling is performed directly).

Therefore, in a normal state, the finger is read through the following axis α in relation to the rolling ball container while being suspended by the rubber damper. For example, for movement in the direction of ± 35 °), the fall prevention device is
240b An appropriate gap δ is maintained so as not to come into contact with 240b ₁ .

[0024] Even in this case, the outer dimension of the azimuth follower, which is a feature of the prior art, can be reduced in height, or the area (diameter) of the rubber portion can be changed without changing the height. It is relatively easy to produce a predetermined spring constant.

As a result, in the event that the rubber damper breaks, the rolling ball container is supported by the knurled members of the air chamber housing and the fall prevention device. At this time, since the fall prevention device is constituted by the leaf spring as described above, the fall prevention device has appropriate spring characteristics, and the shock to the rolling ball due to the falling of the rolling ball container is also buffered by the leaf spring. By the effect, the worst abnormal situation of the destruction of the rolling ball can be avoided. And in this case,
As a result of the slip prevention by the knurled processing portion, it is possible to read the azimuth fingering while being in an emergency even after the rolling ball container falls.

It is needless to say that the fall prevention device is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 2, but may be any shape having spring characteristics.

[0027]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it is possible to simplify the structure of the holding mechanism of the prior art, and to improve the working efficiency from the time of adjusting the holding mechanism assembly to the time of maintenance. Cost reduction, improvement of performance, gyro compass shape
The following effects are further obtained while maintaining various effects such as minimizing a mechanical twist angle error between the follower and the rolling ball case.

(A) A rubber damper, such as a rubber damper, whose physical properties change over time is naturally replaced or replaced by periodic inspection.
The advantage that the safety device having the simple shape as in the present invention is applied to reduce the total cost is obtained.

(B) When the rubber damper is used in the form of being pulled, the use of the fall prevention device as in the present invention is effective both in eliminating mental anxiety and in terms of its practical use. The effect is great.

[0030]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a specific embodiment of a gyro compass of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram provided for explanation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram provided for explanation of a prior art.

FIG. 4 is a diagram provided for explanation of a prior art.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Rolling ball case 2, 20 200 Holding mechanism 3 Axle of azimuth follower (compass case) (follower shaft) 4, 5, 50 Coupling mechanism

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01C 19/00-19/54

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A structure in which a rolling ball container is suspended by a holding mechanism having a spring characteristic and a damping characteristic in an axial direction, a peripheral direction and a lateral direction and held at a predetermined torque stable angular position with respect to a center point of a compass case. In the gyro compass, the holding mechanism (200) is provided with a circular plate-shaped elastic body (230), an elastic body holding part (240a) for holding and connecting the elastic body, and an orifice (60) provided in a part. A configuration in which a metal portion (240) including a side metal portion (240b) and a bottom portion (24c) and a knurling process are applied to a tip portion provided in an air reservoir (T) formed by the elastic body and the metal portion. And a fall prevention device (250) formed of an elastic body, wherein the elastic characteristic of the elastic body, and the air reservoir and the orifice are used to attenuate and reduce disturbance from the compass case. Gyro compass.